Have lot of reservations about behaviour of bureaucracy: CJI

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 1

Expressing serious concern over the alleged nexus between bureaucrats — especially police officers — and politicians, the Supreme Court on Friday said it once considered setting up standing committees led by Chief Justices of high courts to examine complaints of atrocities committed by police officers.

“I have a lot of reservations at the way bureaucracy, particularly police officers, are behaving in this country,” a Bench led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said.

The Bench reserved its orders on separate petitions filed by senior IPS officer Gurjinder Pal Singh, suspended Director of Chhattisgarh Police Academy challenging three FIRs lodged against him by the state government for offences of sedition, corruption and extortion.

“I was at one time thinking of creating standing committees to examine atrocities and complaints against bureaucrats, particularly police officers, headed by the Chief Justices of the high courts. Now, I want to reserve that… I do not want to do it now,” the CJI said.

Earlier also it had raised the issue of nexus between politicians in power and police officers and had asked as to why the courts should protect such officers in criminal cases after the regime change. The Bench hinted it would grant protection to the suspended officer from any coercive action in two cases lodged for the offence of sedition and extortion and requested the Chhattisgarh High Court to decide his pleas expeditiously within eight weeks. In the third case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, it said the police officer would be at liberty to avail appropriate legal remedy as he had only sought its transfer to the CBI and the stay of the ongoing probe.